Hanger carrying device

ABSTRACT

A hanger carrying device comprises a handle attached to a hanger securing mechanism by a connecting mechanism wherein the handle is configured to have a four-finger conforming configuration. The hanger securing mechanism includes two hinged bar members with a locking mechanism and is configured to lock each hanger in a relative fixed position. A hanger carrying device comprises a handle attached to a hanger hub. The hanger hub includes a first part having a bar member for supporting a plurality of hangers and a second part having an inner lip. The inner lip is configured to engage the bar member.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.62/115,212, titled “Hanger Carrying Device,” filed on Feb. 12, 2015, theentirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to a hanger carrying device.

BACKGROUND DISCUSSION

Garments on hangers sometime need to be carried from one location toanother. For example, a customer needs to carry cleaned shirts, suits,or dresses from a cleaner to his or her car. In cities, a customer oftencarries cleaned clothes from a cleaner to his or her apartment. Evenwhen flying from one city to another, a traveler still needs to carryclothes before boarding and during ground transportation. Using fingersto carry clothes on hangers, even for several minutes, can be a quiteuncomfortable task, especially when heavy clothes are on the hangers orwhen the hook of the hangers is very thin. In general, the hook of ahanger, which is typically wire-shaped, exerts high pressure to a smallarea of fingers, thus creating discomfort and forcing a carrier toswitch holding positions from time to time.

SUMMARY

This application generally relates to an adapter device to which hangersof clothes can be attached, allowing easy transport. The adapter deviceincludes a securing mechanism at one side and a contoured handle grip onthe other. The adapter device is configured to place one or more hangersinto the securing mechanism. The handle grip may be adjustable and havea variable position relative to the securing mechanism, thus allowingthe user to hold the clothes in multiple positions, such as vertically,horizontally, or in an over-the-shoulder position.

According to an aspect, the present application is directed to a hangercarrying device comprising a handle attached to a hanger securingmechanism by a connecting mechanism. The handle is configured to have afour-finger conforming configuration. The hanger securing mechanismincludes two hinged bar members with a locking mechanism and isconfigured to lock each hanger in a relative fixed position.

According to an embodiment, each bar member includes an anti-slip layer.

According to another embodiment, the locking mechanism is a U-shapedlatch.

According to yet another embodiment, the connecting mechanism includes arope and a protective layer that surrounds the rope.

According an aspect, the present application is directed to a hangercarrying device comprising a handle attached to a hanger hub. The hangerhub includes a first part having a bar member for supporting a pluralityof hangers and a second part having an inner lip. The inner lip isconfigured to engage the bar member.

According to an embodiment, the hanger hub has a substantially circularconfiguration.

According to another embodiment, the first part of the hanger hub has acircular angle between 210 and 300 degrees.

According to yet another embodiment, the first part and the second partare connected by a hinge.

According to yet another embodiment, the hanger carrying device furthercomprises a plurality of hangers having a fully looped part that issupported by the bar member.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

To accomplish the foregoing and related ends, certain illustrativeembodiments of the invention are described herein in connection with thefollowing description and the annexed drawings. These embodiments areindicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which theprinciples of the invention may be employed and the present invention isintended to include all such aspects and their equivalents. Otheradvantages, embodiments and novel features of the invention may becomeapparent from the following description of the invention when consideredin conjunction with the drawings. The following description, given byway of example, but not intended to limit the invention solely to thespecific embodiments described, may best be understood in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a hanger carrying device 100 carryinga plurality of hangers according to an embodiment of the presentapplication.

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the hanger carrying device 100 in anopen position according to an embodiment of the present application.

FIG. 3(a) shows a side view of the hanger carrying device 100 where thelocking mechanism (C) is in an open position according to an embodimentof the present application.

FIG. 3(b) shows a side view of the hanger carrying device 100 where alocking mechanism (C) is in a closed position according to an embodimentof the present application.

FIG. 4(a) shows a perspective view of a hanger carrying device 400according to an embodiment of the present application.

FIG. 4(b) shows a side view of the hanger carrying device 400 accordingto an embodiment of the present application.

FIG. 4(c) shows a top view of the hanger carrying device 400 accordingto an embodiment of the present application.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

It is noted that in this disclosure, terms such as “comprises,”“comprised,” “comprising,” and the like can have the meaning attributedto it in U.S. patent law; that is, they can mean “includes,” “included,”“including,” “including, but not limited to” and the like, and allow forelements not explicitly recited. Terms such as “consisting essentiallyof” and “consists essentially of” have the meaning ascribed to them inU.S. patent law; that is, they allow for elements not explicitlyrecited, but exclude elements that are found in the prior art or thataffect a basic or novel characteristic of the invention. Embodiments ofthe present invention are disclosed or are apparent from and encompassedby, the following description.

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a hanger carrying device 100according to an embodiment of the present application. The hangercarrying device 100 comprises a securing mechanism 104 for securing aplurality of hangers 102 to be carried, a handle 106, and a connectingmechanism 108 connecting the handle 106 with the securing mechanism 104.

The securing mechanism 104 is configured to secure the plurality ofhangers 102. According to an embodiment, the securing mechanism 104 hasa clamp-like configuration that is formed by two members (A) attachedwith each other via a hinge (H) at a first end. At the other end, alocking mechanism (C) is used to keep the clamp configuration in aclosed position. When a plurality of hangers 102 need to be placedinside the securing mechanism 104, the locking mechanism (C) disengagesone member (A) so that two members (A) are allowed to pivot around thehinge (H) to form an opening between the two members (A), as shown inFIG. 2. After the plurality of hangers are placed inside the securingmechanism 104, the locking mechanism (C) engages with both members (A),causing the securing mechanism 104 to close.

According to an embodiment, the securing mechanism 104 is preferred tohave adequate strength such that the securing mechanism 104 is capableof carrying several garments. For example, two bar members that are madeof plastic or wood and are approximately 4 inches long, ½ inch wide, and½ inch high may be used to form the securing mechanism 104. To preventthe hangers 102 from moving around after they are placed inside thesecuring mechanism 104, the hanger carrying device 100 further includesanti-friction means in the securing mechanism 104. According to anembodiment, soft or moldable layers (R), such as foam or rubber pads,are attached to the two members (A). The two layers (R) face each otherand contact each other when the securing mechanism 104 is in a closedposition. These additional layers (R) not only prevent hangers fromslipping along the gaps between two members (A), but also protect hooksof the hangers from being accidentally snapped. According to anembodiment, the thickness of either layer is between 0 inch to thediameter of the wire that makes the hook portion of a hanger or isbetween one fourth to three fourths of that diameter or is about half ofthat diameter.

According to an embodiment, the locking mechanism (C) represents alatch, which has a U shaped body and pivots around the hinge (E). Anyother mechanisms may be used as the locking mechanism in the device 100as long as they are capable of securing the members (A) in a closedposition.

The handle 106 is configured to provide a comfortable grip for the handof a carrier. According to an embodiment, the handle 106 is contouredinternally to a four finger configuration, which makes it easy to hold.The handle 106 and the securing mechanism 104 are connected with eachother via a connecting mechanism 108. The connecting mechanism 108 ispreferably flexible or semi-rigid so that it is capable of conforming toa body contour of a carrier. Ropes, belts, and chains may be used as theconnecting mechanism 108. According to an embodiment, the connectingmechanism 108 is formed by a rope with a protective surrounding tube.For example, like a jump rope, the connecting mechanism 108 may have acord (S) housed inside a plurality of cylindrical drums (D) that providegreater contact areas with the body of a carrier. The securing mechanism104 may provide a plurality of attachment positions 110 to theconnecting mechanism 108. The plurality of attachment positions 110 maybe in the form of a plurality of perforations in the bar member (A) inthe bar member (A).

FIG. 2 shows the hanger carrying device 100 in an open positionaccording to an embodiment of the present application. In the openposition, the locking mechanism (C) is disengaged from the upper memberof the securing mechanism, thus allowing hangers to be removed from thesecuring mechanism 104. A side view of the hanger carrying device 100 inan open position is shown in FIG. 3(a). A side view of the handercarrying device 100 in a closed position is shown in FIG. 3(b).

FIG. 4 shows a second embodiment of a hanger carrying device. The hangercarrying device 400 includes a handle 402 connected to a hanger hub 404.The hanger hub 404 has a general disk-like appearance that is configuredto support a plurality of hangers 416 on a bar member 412 provided atthe lower portion of the hanger hub 404. The overall configuration ofthe hanger hub 404 may be any shape that is lack of sharp edges.According to an embodiment, the hanger hub 404 has a substantialcircular configuration when viewed from the top. According to anotherembodiment, the hanger hub 404 has a substantial ellipticalconfiguration when viewed from the top.

The hanger hub 404 has a first part 406 attached to a second part 408via a hinge 410. The second part 408 is capable of pivoting around thehinge 410, thus opening or closing the hanger hub 404. When in an openposition as shown in FIG. 4(c), hangers are allowed to be put onto thebar members 412. When in a close position as shown in FIG. 4(a), thefirst part 406 and the second part 408 are in contact with each other,thus preventing hangers from falling off the bar members 412. The handle402 is attached to the top surface of the first part 406. Each of thefirst part 406 and the second part 408 represents a predeterminedportion of the overall circular or elliptical configuration of thehanger hub 404. The first part 406 which connects with the handle 402 ispreferably to be larger than the second part 408. According to anembodiment, the first part 406 and the second part 408 may be viewed tobe separated by a predetermined line between the hinge 410 and aseparation point 424. The size of the first part 406 may becharacterized by an angle 420 that is between a first line linking thehinge 410 and the center 422 and a second line linking the center 422and the separation point 424. According to an embodiment, the angle 420is at least 180°, preferably between 210° and 330°, or preferablybetween 240° and 300° or around 270°.

The first part 406 is provided with a bar member 412 for supporting thehangers 416. According to an embodiment, the bar member 412 may be anintegral part of the first part 406 without any additional attachmentmechanism. For example, when the first part 406 is made by plasticmolding, the bar member 412 and the first part 406 are formed togetherduring the molding process. According to an embodiment, the bar member412 is a separate part that is attached to the first part 406. Forexample, the bar member may be made of alloy or wood to have highermechanical integrity and is attached to the first part 406 by anysuitable attachment means including glues and screws.

The second part 408 also includes an inner lip 414 configured to engageone end of the bar member 412 that is provided in the first part 406,thus providing additional mechanical strength to the bar member 412.Without the inner lip 414, the bar member 412 represents a cantileverbeam that has one end attached to the second part 406 and has the otherend unsupported. With the use of the inner lip 414, both ends of the barmember 412 are supported. The inner lip 414 also prevents hangers 416from falling out of the hanger hub 404. According to an embodiment, theinner lip 414 has a locking mechanism that mates a counter part on thebar member 412 to keep the second part 408 in a closed position.According to an embodiment, both the first part 406 and the second part408 have a magnetic portion or layer at where they contact with eachother so that the first part 406 and the second part 408 are heldtogether by the magnetic force in a closed position. The magneticportion may be disposed in the inner lip 414 and the bar member 412 ormay be disposed in a separate location. According to another embodiment,the first part 406 and the second part 408 are secured to each other bya hook and loop mechanism such as Velcro.

According to an embodiment, the hanger carrying device 400 may be usedwith regular hangers that use hooks to hang on the bar member 412.According to an embodiment, the hanger carrying device 400 may usespecifically designed hangers, forming a 2-in-1 hanger combination. Forexample, both the specific designed hangers and the hanger carryingdevice 400 are provided to customers as one product. According to anembodiment, hangers 416, which have a fully closed “loop” portion 418that can be wrapped around the bar member 412 within the hanger carryingdevice 400, may be used. An advantage of this type of system is that thehanger is more secure. This can be done with a fixed configuration (i.e.one hanger for a suit for example) or with a swinging door with a hingeto allow the user to add multiple hangers.

The particular embodiments disclosed above are illustrative only, as theinvention may be modified and practiced in different but equivalentmanners apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of theteachings herein. Furthermore, no limitations are intended to thedetails of construction or design herein shown, other than as describedin the paragraphs below. It is therefore evident that the particularembodiments disclosed above may be altered or modified and all suchvariations are considered within the scope and spirit of the invention.Although illustrative embodiments of the invention have been describedin detail herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is tobe understood that the invention is not limited to those preciseembodiments, and that various changes and modifications can be effectedtherein by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope andspirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A hanger carrying device comprising: a handleattached to a hanger securing mechanism by a connecting mechanism;wherein the connecting mechanism is adjustable such that the handle canhave a variable position relative to the securing mechanism.
 2. A hangercarrying device comprising: a handle attached to a hanger securingmechanism by a connecting mechanism; wherein the handle is configured tohave a four-finger conforming configuration, and wherein the hangersecuring mechanism includes two hinged bar members with a lockingmechanism, and wherein the hanger securing mechanism is configured tolock each hanger in a relative fixed position.
 3. The hanger carryingdevice of claim 2, wherein each bar member includes an anti-slip layer.4. The hanger carrying device of claim 2, wherein the locking mechanismis a U-shaped latch.
 5. The hanger carrying device of claim 2, whereinthe connecting mechanism includes a rope and a protective layer thatsurrounds the rope.
 6. A hanger carrying device comprising: a handleattached to a hanger hub, wherein the hanger hub includes a first parthaving a bar member for supporting a plurality of hangers and a secondpart having an inner lip, and wherein the inner lip is configured toengage the bar member.
 7. The hanger carrying device of claim 6, whereinthe hanger hub has a substantially circular configuration.
 8. The hangercarrying device of claim 6, wherein the first part of the hanger hub hasa circular angle between 210 and 330 degrees.
 9. The hanger carryingdevice of claim 6, wherein the first part and the second part areconnected by a hinge.
 10. The hanger carrying device of claim 6, furthercomprising: a plurality of hangers having a fully looped part that issupported by the bar member.